


Well That Was Unexpected

by Emjen_Enla



Series: Prompted Works [41]
Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Cross-Posted on Tumblr, F/M, Gen, Pre-Season/Series 01, Sleep Deprivation, Tired Tommy that isn’t angsty, Unexpected Marriage Announcements, Who knew that could happen?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:15:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26217010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emjen_Enla/pseuds/Emjen_Enla
Summary: “I’m getting married,” John announced. Or John has a history of unexpected and hasty marriage proposals.Written for Peaky Blinders Appreciation Week Day 1: Pre-canon / The Great War.
Relationships: Arthur Shelby & John Shelby, Greta Jurossi/Tommy Shelby, John Shelby & Tommy Shelby, John Shelby/Martha Shelby, Polly Gray & John Shelby
Series: Prompted Works [41]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1366669
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	Well That Was Unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> So, this fic is born out of a discussion on Peaky discord about the circumstances of John’s marriage to Martha. I had to give her a maiden name, because canon doesn’t specify one.

“I’m getting married,” John announced at the table when the family was halfway through breakfast.

Breakfast at the Watery Lane house was always a bit chaotic, even when you had actually gotten any sleep, which Tommy hadn’t. He, Greta, Freddie and Kitty had gone to London for a communist rally the night before, which had been a long and complicated endeavor. The biggest issue had been managing the four-hour drive to London when none of your families knew you were a communist and you couldn’t afford train tickets. They’d eventually circumvented this by borrowing the truck from Uncle Charlie’s yard after he’d gone to bed (they hadn’t actually asked, but given that Uncle Charlie had borrowed the truck from the BSA factory and forgotten to return it, Tommy figured he was well within his rights). Since they didn’t want to have to explain where they had been they’d had to make sure they were back by morning so they’d driven home after the rally.

Freddie and Kitty had fallen asleep on the way back but Tommy had been driving (he may have been willing to borrow his uncle’s truck without asking but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let anyone else drive it in case they fucking crashed it or something). Greta had stayed awake with him and they’d talked for the whole drive. It had been nice and definitely worth how exhausted he was going to be today.

Anyway, Tommy was tired and he actually might have thought that he’d dozed off and was dreaming John’s announcement if Arthur hadn’t choked on his tea at John’s words. Tommy blinked his way out of his half-asleep haze to stare incredulously at John with the rest of the family.

“Excuse me, what did you just say?” Polly asked, sounding like she hoped she’d misheard him.

“I’m getting married,” John repeated.

“To who?” Tommy got out, somewhat disappointed that this appeared to actually be happening. “You aren’t seeing anyone.”

“I am!” John protested.

“Since when?” Arthur asked. “Weren’t you just complaining to me about not having a date?”

“That was longer ago than you’re thinking it was,” John said tightly.

“And now you’ve met someone and decided to get married?” Polly asked. She crossed her arms looking like she was about to lay into John for his stupidity.

“Excuse me, but John never answered Tommy’s question,” Ada broke in. “ _Who_ exactly are you planning to get married to?”

John turned kind of red, which didn’t make Tommy feel any more optimistic about the whole situation. “Martha Adams,” he muttered after a moment.

“Martha Adams?” Polly squawked. “Have you actually asked her how _she_ feels about marrying you?”

“Yes,” John said, chin lifting as he got defensive. “She said yes. Obviously. I wouldn’t be telling you if she hadn’t.”

Tommy took a deep breath and tried to get his tired thoughts to line up enough to offer a coherent objection. “John, regardless of whether or not Martha agreed to marry you, it’ll never happen. You know her father. He’d die before let her marry a Catholic.”

Somehow that made John turn even redder, like Tommy had forced him into a corner he hadn’t wanted to be in during this conversation. “She’s pregnant.”

“What the—” Polly put her head in her hand. “Fuck, John. Have you suggested she gets rid of it? Or did you just spring this plot on her?”

Apparently, that was too much for John. He bolted to his feet, throwing his chair backwards with such force that Finn jumped. John dove into a tirade so convoluted Tommy couldn’t quite follow it. He’d have thought it was just because he was tired, but Polly, Arthur and Ada looked just as confused. Then John was turning on his heal and storming from the house, the door slamming behind him.

The rest of the family sat in silence for a few minutes, before Polly pushed her chair back from the table and stood. “Well,” she said briskly. “I guess I’d better go have a little chat with Martha Adams and hope she has more sense than our John. This is not at all what I expected to be doing today.”

Tommy just sighed and put his forehead down on the tabletop. Turned out sleep was more than a little necessary to even begin dealing with this family.


End file.
